CHICAGO, Ill. (NBC Chicago) -- The Chicago Bears' "sole focus" is on constructing a new stadium in suburban Arlington Heights, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said Friday, doubling down on a shift in direction announced less than three months earlier.
Speaking at a news conference alongside Bears Chairperson George McCaskey, Warren said weekly meetings are taking place between team leadership and village officials -- and the team's goal is to break ground by the end of 2025.
"We are still extremely focused on Arlington Heights, on building our stadium there," the president and CEO stated. "That's the plan."
Warren said the team "strongly believes" Arlington Heights is the only place within Cook County that will permit the construction of a stadium with a fixed roof.
Prior to Friday's news briefing, the Bears released a statement to NBC Chicago in May, saying they had "made significant progress with the leaders in Arlington Heights, and look forward to continuing to work with state and local leaders on making a transformative economic development project for the region a reality."
The statement came after a spokesperson for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said executive leadership from the team have "indicated they intend to prioritize the development site located in the Village of Arlington Heights."
However, the spokesperson stated, "As the Mayor has said several times, the door remains open in the city of Chicago."
The change marked the most concrete shift away from Chicago since the team revealed it was focusing its efforts on a new lakefront stadium next to Soldier Field.
The shift in direction wasn't necessarily surprising since the Bears were met with resistance from Chicago and state lawmakers over their requests for some public financing of the project and encountered questions from advocacy groups like Friends of the Parks over the lakefront location.
In late April, the Arlington Heights village board approved an agreement with a consulting firm to evaluate an economic impact study surrounding the new stadium and proposed entertainment district. The village also hired a consultant to take an in-depth look at the traffic impacts of the proposed development.
The Bears had previously pivoted away from building a domed stadium and entertainment district in Arlington Heights, though they never ruled out the property entirely. Then, while speaking to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio and Chris Simms in April, Warren confirmed that the Bears’ stadium project was “really down to the Museum Campus and downtown Arlington Heights."
The team bought the now-shuttered Arlington Park racecourse for nearly $200 million in 2023, but a property tax dispute stalled their plans.
